Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-07-14
Shnafinc In Kenfnckx.

distinguished ViSlt0rS from henbucky In
the persons of VIM. Ramey, ex-sheriff
of Rowan county, and his son Henry,
led HERALD reporter to seek them
out last night. After ride of seven
miles over extremely rough roads run
ming amid the Grant bluffs, the visitors
were found in johnson McKensie's
house on the farm. keeping bachelor
hall"
There ia nothing about Mr.. Ramey
that would mark him as having served
for three years as sheriff of a county
that is on the shoot. He is tall, well
built, straight as an arrow, and has a
well developed head that is covered
with gray hair. He is naturally man.
nerly and grave; is not given to 'talk-
ing;" makes all his statements guard
eddy, and when asked tells his stories of
Kentucky exploits below par, without
garDishment.
About two years ago row started in
Rowan county, Kentucky, over an cleo
ton bet of $3.50 hat. A man was
killed and since then upwards of thirty
men have lost their lives on account of
that hat.
VIM. Ramey, as sheriff, and his son
Henry, as deputy sheriff, were making
some arrests while ago when all par
ties present fell to shooting and young
man named Logan was killed. This
brought the Ramey's into the quarrel
and an uncle of Logan hired men to
kill the sheriff and his son. Mr.. Me-
Kensie's visitors were fred upon several
times from the bush, but they still live.
mo-" said the elder Ramey to a
HERALD reporter, II don't want to
talk to newspaper man. The news
papers have made many statements
that are untrue. When l make
statement it will be such one as can
swear 10 and sign my name to. No. l
can't make it now; but will when the
right time comes. know a great deal
that nobody else knows. l have two
sons back in Rowan county, and my
talking here might-well-you know
I've made up my mind not to say any
| thing"
"Were you in tho fight that occurred
at Morehead short time ago when the
Tolliver boys we're killed."
Yes. / was at Craig Tolliver's
hotel. Lawyer Logan, friend of mine
and brother of the Logan who hired
men to kill me and my son, came TO
the door and called me out l asked
him what the matter was and he said,
Hell will be popping here in few
minutes He walked real fast toward
the brush, telling me to follow him, and
kept walking after him and asking all
the time what the trouble was. He
didn't answer me and at last l stopped
saying that he was not treating me
right. Just then lot of men arose
out of the bushes. They were bare
headed and had their guns to their
shoulders. 1 called to them not to
shoot anybody and told them that the
Tollivers would submit to be arrested if
they would protect them from the mob.
While was talking one of the Tolliver
boys shot at man in another part of
the town and then the shooting began.
| There must have been a thousand shots
fired. The Tollivers saw they were
overpowered and tried to get away in
the brush-.all except one Tolliver boy,
about IA years old, who supposed they
were going to fight it out, and stood up
and fired his gun like major until a
ball brought him down. All the Toll
livers were riddled with bullets and
killed except one, Bud Tolliver. He
was wounded and crawled into the
bushes. After the fight was over
Logan's men found him and dragged
him out of the bushes. Buds wife
begged them not to kill him, but they
placed the muzzle of gun against the
wounded mans head and while his wife
screened her eyes with her hands to
shut out the dreadful sight, they blew
his brains out. | helped prepare the
Tolliver boys for burial"
Mr.. Rowan and bis son both have
wives in Rowan county. The young
man had received letters from home
and he remarked to his father, II have
mother and Lizzie both here" as be
produced two photographs of his mother
and wife. The letter said that the
women and two sons at home were all
right, aud urged the two men to re-
main where they are, as Logan has $50
men under arms, and those who pro-
posed to avenge the death of the Toll
liver boys report that they have an
equal number of men and are fully pre-
pared to meet the Logan clan. Mr..
Ramey has bullet in his thigh and the
son has a charge of buckshot in his
shoulder and neither of them are home
sick. The Tolliver boys were and all
the men who have been engaged in the
quarrel are honest citizens of the county
in which they reside-that is, they are
not robbers or criminals any further
than shooting each other is crime.
Property is safe there. The main
trouble is that where parties have killed
a man even in self defense-they dare
not allow themselves to be arrested for
fear of being taken from the officers by
mob of the dead mans friends and
shot, and the officers can not arrest an
offender, unless he is willing, for fear
of his friends shooting them. 1t is not
a political quarrel. There are Demo-
Gratis and Republicans on both sides.
Mr. Ramey said; There is just one
thing you can say for. me through your
paper. Say that am not on either
side and that think both sides are
some to blame. Say that l say to my
friends, abide by the law and don't do
any more shooting than is absolutely
necessary Henry and had made up
-....A